Mangaluru: MLC Ivan D’Souza held a press meet at the District Congress Office here, on January 13.

Speaking to the mediapersons, Ivan said that BJP MLA, CT Ravi has recently said in a press release that Yettinahole is the brainchild of the BJP and accused the Congress party of taking credit for the project after coming to power. “Ravi said that Yettinahole project will not make Nethravati dry as the project is based on harnessing the water from monsoon rains.”

Ivan further said, “Local MP Naleen Kumar Kateel and other BJP Leaders had protested against the project just for the sake of votes. When I opposed the project in the Vidhana Parishad, not even a single member from the BJP joined me. It is clear, they did this just for the sake of votes. They have shown their true colours,” he said.

He also said that the project was openly supported by the Union Law Minister, Sadananda Gowda and now even CT Ravi had joined him. “If the BJP Lok Sabha member, Naleen Kumar Kateel genuinely wants to show his protest against the project, he should resign. Although it is unlikely that he will, as even Eshwarappa had taken a U-turn and not resigned after winning just 6 seats, when Congress party had managed to win 13 seats in the recent MLC elections,” Ivan said. Senior politician from BJP, KS Eshwarappa had earlier said he would quit politics if the Congress party would win even one seat more than the BJP in the recent MLC elections.